The Best Touchscreen Laptops of 2019

Nowadays, it’s almost as rare to find a laptop without a touchscreen as it is a cell phone. But because touchscreens are so abundant, you’ll have to search through all kinds to find the right fit for you. You’ll see touchscreens on standard laptops as well as Chromebooks, laptop-tablet hybrids, and devices with detachable keyboards. Whether you’re a digital artist or just like the convenience of scrolling with a finger, here are the top touchscreen laptops to consider in 2019.

Check out quick reviews below of our top five touchscreen laptops, or scroll deeper for more helpful buying info and full reviews of those laptops plus other high-ranking options.

Pros and Cons of a Touchscreen

Many of these touchscreen laptops are 2-in-1 devices, meaning their screens flip or keyboards detach to turn them into a tablet. They generally have slimmer, lightweight designs, though these sleek hybrid models often get more expensive than standard laptops. However, on standard laptops, touchscreens are less easy to use with the keyboard getting in the way.

The touchscreens themselves also often add to the expense, weight, and may drain battery life faster. Plenty of these models do come in at under 3 pounds and boast all-day battery, though prices can easily surpass $1,000. Still, you can now find touchscreens on affordable budget models and Chromebooks as well. Just keep in mind that not all touchscreens are made with the same quality. Some are only designed to scroll up and down a webpage with a finger, while better ones may come with more advanced features and standard pens and styluses.

Other Laptop Specs to Look Out For

CPU: Most laptops use Intel processors for their Central Processing Unit. You’ll generally want an i5 or i7 processor, but i9 is better for hard-core gamers or video editors.GPU: The Graphics Processing Unit creates the images on your screen, though most are built into the CPU.RAM: Random Access Memory temporarily stores information to be accessed quickly, which allows your computer to multi-task. On basic devices like Chromebooks, you may get 4 GB. For most users, 8 GB is appropriate, whereas you’ll want at least 16 GB for serious work or gaming.Storage: These laptops will mostly store everything on a Solid State Drive, or SSD. 245 GB is the average, but video editors will need more, or an external drive.Resolution: If you want clear picture, the minimum resolution you should get is 1080p, but 4k is better for gaming or photo editing.

How We Rated Them

We research 14 expert sources and 8,400 consumer reviews to select the top 12 touchscreen laptops of the year. To determine our Total Expert Score, we calculate the ratings from trusted publications such as Tech Radar, CNET, PC Mag, and Digital Trends, and convert them to a 100-point scale to make it easier for you to weigh the best options. Our Consumer Score represents the percentage of consumers who rated the product at least 4 out of 5 stars on retail sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.

Best 2-in-1

Lenovo Yoga C930

Total Expert Score: 88/100 | Consumer Score: 92% give it 4 stars or higherLenovo’s new Yoga 2-in-1 laptop will impress you with its flips and tricks.

The Yoga C930 is Lenovo’s latest and most impressive addition to the Yoga-series. It boasts a sturdy all-metal build with convertible flexibility thanks to its two-in-one design. The 360-degree hinges not only work to flip this laptop into a tablet, but also serve as a rotating sound bar, since they house the Dolby Atmos speaker system. “Excellent performance and a stylish and functional design make the Lenovo Yoga C930 simply one of the best two-in-one laptops available,” CNET concluded.

Users can expect to find a USB 3.1, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an audio jack, and a fingerprint reader on the Yoga C930. The included pen is small, but it comes with its own charging and storage station in the laptop’s body. Thanks to this model’s overall impressive design and performance, one reviewer on Best Buy called it the best 2-in-1 laptop “for nearly every possible use.”

Though Chromebooks, which support ChromeOS, function essentially as web browsers, the Asus Chromebook Flip doesn’t feel very limited due to the variety of Google Play and Android apps available. Wirecutter selected it as the Best Chromebook, writing that it “feels closer to a $1,000 ultrabook than to a cheap Chromebook.” At less than $500, it’s an affordable option with all-day battery life, two USB-C ports, microSD slot, audio jack, touchscreen, and 360-degree hinges.

Users enjoy this Chromebook’s simplicity, powerful performance, and comfortable backlit keyboard. One reviewer on Amazon promises other users that they “won’t be disappointed with this great little machine how ever you end up using it, and that versatility is what really makes this machine such a fun and valuable computer.”

Though the Microsoft Surface Book 2 may be expensive compared to other tablet hybrids, it does offer the most versatile four modes. The keyboard not only flips to use it in a studio or viewing mode, but also detaches from the screen entirely to use it as a tablet without the keys getting in the way. Though the Surface Pen doesn’t come standard, the pen and the Surface Dial do make this touchscreen great for creatives.

Amazon reviewers love the Surface Book’s flexibility in form and function. One described, “It’s so lightweight, the entire laptop can sit in my lap for hours and feel comfortable. It’s freed me up to do work and watch videos in any room of the house at any time.” Despite the high price tag, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 offers the work of several devices all in one.

Best Battery Life

HP Spectre x360

Total Expert Score: 85/100 | Consumer Score: 75% give it 4 stars or higherA stylish 2-in-1 that can power you through long days (and nights) and protect your privacy.

With the longest battery life, the HP Spectre x360 can keep you connected without having to plug in to a power source for over 20 hours. One reviewer at the HP Store wrote, “This laptop is lightweight, has all the features I need (and more), and is perfect for beginning graduate school!” Use it as a traditional laptop for work or school during the day, then flip it into a tablet for watching videos and scrolling through the internet at night.

If you’re concerned about privacy when using your computer in public, this new model features HP’s Sure View Privacy Screen mode that makes your screen difficult to read from others at an angle. There’s also a switch to turn off the wide-angle web cam, and a fingerprint reader to log in. You’ll also find two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB 3 Type A port, a microSD card flot, and audio jack on its slim sides. PC Mag concluded, “With head-turning looks, long battery life, and innovative port placement, the HP Spectre x360 13 is an excellent 2-in-1 convertible laptop.”

Best Value

Microsoft Surface Pro 6

Total Expert Score: 83/100 | Consumer Score: 90% give it 4 stars or higherAn affordable 2-in-1 that’s more of a tablet than a laptop.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 has been updated for 2019 with a sleek black design and better battery life. Digital Trends wrote that this model “remains the 2-in-1 to beat.” It comes with a sturdy kickstand, but you’ll have to spend more for the attachable keyboard cover to turn it into a real laptop. There’s also only one USB 3 port along with a microSD card reader and headphone jack.

Users loved using the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 when on-the-go for work, school, or pleasure, especially in place of a larger laptop or iPad. “It’s a powerful little travel companion, keeping me well connected on the road,” wrote one on Amazon.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon means business. Literally: Its reliable performance, sturdy yet slim carbon-fiber build, and comfy keyboard make it the best ultrabook for business use. “The Carbon X1 is powerful enough to handle most productivity tasks, thanks to Intel’s 8th-gen processors,” writes Engadget. One reviewer on Amazon claimed, “The best part of this computer though is the screen and the keyboard. The screen is matte and easy to read for business apps, and the keyboard allows me to quickly pound out emails and long reports.”

In addition to powerful processors and battery, Lenovo includes a physical slider to cover the webcam when not in use as well as a secure fingerprint reader. It also may have the best connectivity on this list with two Thunderbolt-3 USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, audio jack, and micro-SD card slot.

Tech Radar writes that even though the Huawei Matebook X Pro is a bit pricey, it offers “capabilities that few of its closest competitors can muster for a similar price.” These features include its sharp 3k resolution, fast performance, all-day battery life. However, this model doesn’t flip into a tablet, which limits the usefulness of its touchscreen.

Users comment on how the Huawei Matebook is a great value compared to Macbooks. One wrote on Amazon, “Even at retail price this thing provides a lot of value for your money, so if you’re in the market for a thin & light laptop, I’d say this is the one to get.”

This HP is a 2-in-1 Chromebook with a detachable keyboard, making it lighter and easier to use in tablet mode. But unlike hybrids with a keyboard cover or stand, its sturdy keyboard is better to use in your lap. It also comes standard with a stylus and a loop holder on the side of the keyboard.

One Best Buy reviewer explained how they previously thought of Chromebooks as cheap laptops for browsing the web, but “the X2 has really changed my opinion on them.” Though there are cheaper 2-in-1s that support ChromeOS, this one provides one of the most premium user experiences. PC Mag wrote that “HP’s pioneering Chromebook x2 detachable joins Google’s $999 Pixelbook as the elite of the Chrome OS field.”

Though the Dell XPS 13 is one of the most powerful Windows laptops, its 2-in-1 cousin sacrifices some of that power for portability and versatility. Despite Dell’s estimated 15 hours of battery life, many expert and user tests reported less than 10 hours of power. The XPS 13 2-in-1 also lacks some important features that other touchscreen laptops include, such as a pen with magnet or loop to store it in. Digital Trends explained that “Dell makes tough choices, but they pay off.”

This model boasts a thin design with 360-degree flexibility that many users want in a touchscreen laptop. Many users suggest considering the regular Dell XPS 13 instead, which comes with a touchscreen but not 360-degree hinges. One Amazon buyer still concluded that the 2-in-1 model is “a good alternative to a Macbook Air, especially for students like myself who want something else like a Windows OS and a touchscreen.”

Though most 2-in-1 designs sport screens that are 13 inches or smaller, the LG Gram flaunts a full 14-inch display. LG provides most premium features that you’d want in a touchscreen hybrid, including a Wacom pen, fingerprint reader, two USB Type A ports, one USB-C 3.1, a headphone jack, backlit keys, and over 20 hours of battery life. Though for many, its $1400 price tag may be too out of reach to take advantage of all these qualities.

Users enjoy using this lightweight laptop all day for personal and business use, though they note the lack of pen storage and weak speakers. “Overall, this is a great laptop for someone who wants the perfect balance between portability and productivity,” wrote one on Best Buy.

Razer Blade Stealth

Total Expert Score: 81/100 | Consumer Score: 76% give it 4 stars or higherA great new entry-level gaming laptop that you can also take with you on-the-go.

Gone are the days of heavy gaming laptops! The new Razer Blade lives up to its stealthy title at under three pounds, so it can serve as your everyday productivity laptop as well. Though the great 4k matte display compromises its battery life a bit, you can expect decent speakers and Razer’s unique design with black aluminum and the snake logo on the lid.

Digital Trends recommends the base model as opposed to the more expensive “graphics” model with limited gaming performance. Though users did enjoy using the graphics model for light gaming and portability. On Amazon, one explained that it “starts very fast” and “has decent gaming capability for the size.”

“The leather-wrapped Spectre Folio isn’t just a pretty face – it’s a great 2-in-1,” describes Digital Trends. The premium brown- or burgundy-leather case is not just a cover, but an actual part of the laptop that flips easily to use as a tablet. Compared to 2-in-1 with material covers, the HP Spectre Folio’s backlit keyboard feels solid, large, and comfortable for typing.

Though it’s still portable, it does weigh over three pounds despite its small design. One user recommended on Best Buy, “Especially if you’re looking for something different or just want to show off a little, it is pretty (and nice).” It certainly doesn’t hurt that its unique design will turn heads when you take it to your local coffee shop or a job interview.

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